A spell of warm weather is disrupting events at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, presenting a challenge for Olympic organizers with temperatures forecast to rise again this week.

Athletes have voiced concerns that melting and soft snow is hampering their ability to compete.

On Tuesday, a training session for Alpine skiing downhill was canceled to protect the snow, while mild weather conditions meant a slushy track for a Nordic Combined event.

Some athletes in the men’s biathlon 12.5-kilometer pursuit Monday fell while skiing on a course softened by warm weather.

The head of the Sochi Olympics, Dmitry Chernyshenko, said Tuesday there is no need yet to use emergency snow reserves at mountain venues.

"You know that we had a special program to secure the snow, and the snow is still in some reservoirs that survived over the previous summer," he said. "So in case we will need some snow, we can use it from our reservoir."

An "Electric" Atmosphere

Chernyshenko also spoke in glowing terms about the atmosphere at the Sochi Games.

"Great conditions for the visitors and spectators to come and have fun and greet our athletes," he said, "and this is great that in terms it creates the atmosphere in the Games which is electric now, with a crowd of people gathering ((at)) all venues."

In Sochi, a Black Sea resort city with a subtropical climate, the average February temperatures are around 10 degrees Celsius. But on Monday, the high was about 16, and after a brief cool down, they could return to the mid-teens on Thursday.

The current conditions have put Sochi on track to be the warmest Winter Olympics in history.

In results Tuesday, Canadian freestyle skier Dara Howell won the women's slopestyle event. She beat American Devin Logan and fellow Canadian Kim Lamarre, giving her country the overall lead in gold medals with nine.

Norway in Lead

Norway later recaptured the lead, courtesy of big performances by two of its Nordic skiers. Ola Vigen Hattestad won the men's cross-country sprint, and Maiken Caspersen Fallas did likewise in the women's event.

In the men's halfpipe, American snowboarder Shaun White will go for his third straight Olympic gold medal Tuesday. He produced the best score in Tuesday's qualifying heats of 95.75.

Also Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee lifted its ban on India that had been in place since 2012, when India's Olympic Association elected tainted officials. India elected new officials Sunday, clearing the way for its flag to be raised in the Olympic Village.

There are 98 medal events at the Sochi Games, 12 more than in Vancouver in 2010.

Chernyshenko also spoke in glowing terms about the atmosphere at the Sochi Games, calling it "electric."

"Great conditions for the visitors and spectators to come and have fun and greet our athletes, and this is great that in terms it creates the atmosphere in the Games which is electric now, with a crowd of people gathering all venues."

In Sochi, a Black Sea resort city with a subtropical climate, the average February temperatures are around 10 degrees Celsius. But on Monday, the high was about 16, and after a brief cool down, they could return to the mid-teens on Thursday.

The current conditions have put Sochi on track to be the warmest Winter Olympics in history.

In results Tuesday, Canadian freestyle skier Dara Howell won the women's slopestyle event. She beat American Devin Logan and fellow Canadian Kim Lamarre, giving her country the overall lead in gold medals with nine.

Norway later recaptured the lead, courtesy of big performances by two of its Nordic skiers. Ola Vigen Hattestad won the men's cross-country sprint, and Maiken Caspersen Fallas did likewise in the women's event.

In the men's halfpipe, American snowboarder Shaun White will go for his third straight Olympic gold medal Tuesday. He produced the best score in Tuesday's qualifying heats of 95.75.

Also Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee lifted its ban on India that had been in place since 2012, when India's Olympic Association elected tainted officials. India elected new officials Sunday, clearing the way for its flag to be raised in the Olympic Village.

There are 98 medal events at the Sochi Games, 12 more than in Vancouver in 2010.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country could face further consequences to what he called its “already strained economy” if Moscow does not fully comply with a cease-fire in Ukraine. The two met, on Monday, on the sidelines of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, where Kerry outlined human rights violations in Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins reports from Geneva.

Video

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country could face further consequences to what he called its “already strained economy” if Moscow does not fully comply with a cease-fire in Ukraine. The two met, on Monday, on the sidelines of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, where Kerry outlined human rights violations in Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins reports from Geneva.

Video

Diagnosing infections such as HIV requires expensive clinical tests, making the procedure too costly for many poor patients or those living in remote areas. But a new technology called lab-on-a-chip may make the tests more accessible to many. VOA’s George Putic reports.

Video

Afghan officials have expressed concern over reports of a crackdown on Afghan refugees in Pakistan following the Peshawar school attack in December. Reports of mass arrests and police harassment coupled with fear of an uncertain future are making life difficult for a population that fled its homeland to escape war. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports from Islamabad.

Video

Despite the ongoing ceasefire in Ukraine, soldiers in the city of Mariupol fear that pro-Russian separatists may be getting ready to attack. The separatists must take or encircle the city if they wish to gain land access to Crimea, which was annexed by Russia early last year. But Ukrainian forces, many of them volunteers, say they are determined to defend it. Patrick Wells reports from Mariupol.

Video

As low oil prices and Western sanctions force Russia's economy into recession, thousands of Moscow restaurants are expected to close their doors. Restaurant owners face rents tied to foreign currency, while rising food prices mean Russians are spending less when they dine out. One entrepreneur in Moscow has started a dinner kit delivery service for those who want to cook at home to save money but not skimp on quality. VOA's Daniel Schearf reports.

Video

The United States and Cuba say they have made progress in the second round of talks on restoring diplomatic relations more than 50 years after breaking off ties. Delegations from both sides met in Washington on Friday to work on opening embassies in Havana and Washington and iron out key obstacles to historic change. VOA’s Mary Alice Salinas reports from the State Department.

Video

One after another, presumptive Republican presidential contenders auditioned for conservative support this week at the Conservative Political Action Conference held outside Washington. The rhetoric was tough as a large field of potential candidates tried to woo conservative support with red-meat attacks on President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress. VOA Political Columnist Jim Malone takes a look.

Video

New Yorkers take pride in setting world trends — in fashion, the arts and fine dining. The city’s famous biannual Restaurant Week plays a significant role in a booming tourism industry that sustains 359,000 jobs and generates $61 billion in yearly revenue. VOA's Ramon Taylor reports.

Video

Issues like the Keystone XL pipeline, fracking and instability in the Middle East are driving debate in the U.S. about making America energy independent. Recently, the American Energy Innovation Council urged Congress and the White House to make expanded energy research a priority. One beneficiary of increased energy spending would be the Brookhaven National Lab, where clean, renewable, efficient energy is the goal. VOA's Bernard Shusman reports.

Video

There has been a surge of interest in the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, thanks in part to the Hollywood motion picture "Selma." Five decades later, communities in the South are embracing the dark chapters of their past with hopes of luring tourism dollars. VOA's Chris Simkins reports.

Video

With the end of summer in the Southern hemisphere, the Antarctic research season is over. Scientists from Northern Illinois University are back in their laboratory after a 3-month expedition on the Ross Ice Shelf, the world’s largest floating ice sheet. As VOA’s Rosanne Skirble reports, they hope to find clues to explain the dynamics of the rapidly melting ice and its impact on sea level rise.

Video

A Lao dam project on a section of the Mekong River is drawing opposition from local fishermen, international environmental groups and neighboring countries. VOA's Say Mony visited the region to investigate the concerns. Colin Lovett narrates.